At her workspace that used to be a Pitts and Spitts smoker, Crosby artist Nancy Adams creates art from recycled tin cans.

At her workspace that used to be a Pitts and Spitts smoker, Crosby artist Nancy Adams creates art from recycled tin cans.

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One of Nancy Adams’ flying pigs created from old tin cans.

One of Nancy Adams’ flying pigs created from old tin cans.

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Flying pigs are one of Nancy Adams’ most popular pieces of art.

Flying pigs are one of Nancy Adams’ most popular pieces of art.

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This whimsical armadillo is another work of art created by Nancy Adams from recycled tin cans.

This whimsical armadillo is another work of art created by Nancy Adams from recycled tin cans.

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The creative team of Crosby residents Tuz and Nancy Adams.

The creative team of Crosby residents Tuz and Nancy Adams.

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Crosby artist recycles metal into works of art

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Once a prominent component of area landfills, the lowly tin can has been elevated to a work of art thanks to the efforts of Crosby artist Nancy Adams.

“We take the ordinary tin can and elevate it into an unusual and beautiful piece of art with the help of a torch and hand molding,” Adams said. “Every item is hand-cut with no patterns creating a patina and shape unique to that particular can. Lanterns that create elegant luminations ... planter/wind chimes sound from lids ... creatures that make you chuckle ... and sculpture you simply enjoy either inside or out in the garden. All cans are donated, creating a circle of useful life for Mr. Tin.”

The cans used in Adams’ work are all donated from elementary schools, various restaurants, clients, neighbors, friends and family. All the tin cans have mixed alloys, depending on their individual structure, and the art created from them takes varying times to complete.

“I try to use that to my advantage because they burn with a different patina depending on the alloy, coating, etc.,” explained Adams. “I am receiving more varieties of cans and plan to work as many types into the designs as possible. The patina created from the heat can be quite subtle and reflects beautifully in the sunshine. Some pieces take as little as half an hour, but others take many hours. Some have multiple layers with moving parts that give them a lifelike quality. We have to engineer the movements without taking away from the fact that they are recycled tin cans.”

Originally from the Boston area, Nancy moved here 10 years ago following her marriage to her husband, Tuz. It was not a typical romance.

“I had a very successful custom paint shop in the Boston area since 1981,” Nancy explained. “I painted hotrods and motorcycles, buses, boats, interior and exterior wall murals for everything from the House of Blues, to Pink Floyd, to the Museum of Science in Boston. Tuz saw some dolphins in a magazine I had painted on a motorhome, and contacted me to paint something similar on his. We lived 2,000 miles apart and I had a two-year wait. We spoke less and less about dolphins and eventually met and married three years later! The funny thing is, his motorhome is still not painted!“

Like many artists, Nancy’s choice of medium has evolved over the years and she now is known locally for her amazing works of tin. According to Nancy, it not really as much of a case of working in a new medium as it is a resurrection.

Adams explained, “Back in the early 70s, during Earth Day’s inception, I was a young teen experimenting with torches and metal — copper, tin, brass, etc. I came upon the idea of working with the cans, and it evolved into creating saleable pieces, for which I traveled to juried shows that eventually paid my way through The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Flash forward nearly 40 years .... Yikes! We still have far too many cans going into the trash. Roughly two years ago, my husband bought me an oxygen/acetylene rig for Valentine’s Day and thought I should resurrect my tinwork. Since recycling is still so critical, and there is a new generation well aware of the need to conserve, reuse and upcycle. So I've spent the last year creating many new lanterns, planters wind chimes and whimsical creatures and we have just begun. This spring, we plan on adding many new creatures, are hoping to build an art car, and are experimenting with pearl and opalescent transparent candy paints.”

Regular exhibitors at the First Saturday Arts Market in The Heights, Adams’ art has also been shown at the Seabrook Arts Festival, the Bay Area Art Walk, Discovery Green and other venues.

“We are excited, because our new season is coming,” Adams said. “We are headed to the Key West Craft Show in January, The Woodlands in April, always The First Saturday Arts Market, Rockport in July, Maine in September and we have a number of galleries we are in discussions with. Come January, we’ll be finalizing our spring schedule. We are considering moving into the city and opening a small gallery within the next few years. But no matter what, we will always do shows. There is nothing like watching folks walking by, pausing, and seeing the moment they discover what they are looking at or hearing a chime is tin cans. Or see them grinning at one of the whimsical critters. That’s what makes us happy.”

According to Mitch Cohen, owner of the First Saturday Arts Market, her creations have found an ever-growing number of admirers and collectors.

“I love the Adams’ work,” Cohen said. “It’s old school but it’s like a new art form for a lot of our younger patrons. From a marketing standpoint, as the market manager, I can say their booth display is phenomenal. It’s minimalistic, yet still shows everything they have and is inviting to customers passing by. One of their flying pigs was the most sought after item at an auction benefit recently, which was no surprise to me I know they have really good sales at my market. I see the flying pigs and armadillos leaving all day.”

For her part, Adams reciprocates Cohen’s sentiments.

“We have had nothing but positive welcoming in the community,” Adams said. “It’s been a joy being able to meet so many artists and connect them with the art they produce. We are thrilled that Houston has such a vibrant art community. Mitch Cohen from the First Saturday Arts Market is such a positive spirit in involving all the artists, and we are extremely grateful to be part of it.”

Formal shows and venues aside, there are other ways to obtain one of Nancy’s intricate pieces. Studio visits, social media and online commerce are also options available to those wishing to acquire an Adams original. Or, an interested collector of Adams’ work could commission a piece.

“We have a website, TheTinArmadillo.com that has been quite successful as an adjunct to the shows,” Adams said. “We hope to add many more of our custom pieces to the site. In addition, we are starting to connect the dots with social networking as well. Our studio is in our back yard at our home. My husband gave up his retired Pitts and Spitts smoker, rigged an umbrella to keep me out of the sun and set me up with fire extinguishers, music and an occasional iced tea. As for commissions, I’ve created many special pieces ... a raging bull for a cook team, a flying pig for an office executive, a chandelier for a foyer, and even a jellyfish lamp. I love working with client suggestions because it opens up everyone’s minds to the possibilities beyond what the lowly tin can could be elevated to. And our spring will be filled with brand new fresh ideas. Everything from jewelry, purses, clocks and pterodactyls!”

The “we” Adams refers to is both herself and her husband, Tuz, who is also involved with marketing Nancy’s artwork and taking care of anything that would divert Nancy away from the creative process.

“Tuz gives me suggestions, critiques my designs, keeps me laughing, manages the website and marketing and — most importantly — fosters my creativity by taking care of all the other aspects of creating art as a living. Our goal from the start has always been working together as a creative team. We thrive on supporting each other because we know the pieces always reflect the state mind of the artist. We always want ours to show lighthearted enthusiastic joy.”